Welcome to the PC Game Pass Suggestions series. Every two weeks, we look through the huge Game Pass library to find the most interesting hidden gems and big new games that are truly worth your time.
If you are new here, what is Game Pass? Think of it as “Netflix for video games.” It is a service that gives you unlimited access to hundreds of great games for one monthly fee. For a lot of gamers, us included, It’s a great way to try new types of games and find unexpected favorites without spending extra money. Speaking of which, what are the games that you should try this weekend?
Kernel Hearts: Magical Girls vs. God
In Kernel Hearts you play as a member of the M.A.H.O.U Unit, one of humanity’s last hopes in a world drowning in ashes. Your job is to climb the Tower of Babel, fight its angelic inhabitants and, eventually, take on God himself. And, before you ask, yes, there are magical girls involved. There are also biblical monsters, science-fiction elements and a post-apocalyptic setting.
As we discussed in our review, this over the top hack-and-slash action RPG mixes well with roguelike structure. You head into the tower, fight enemies, explore its levels, collect rewards and deal with a boss at the end of each area. There is also online co-op for up to four players, although you can play it alone.
Kernel Hearts is a strange beast. It’s a roguelike action RPG featuring fast, flashy combat alongside various spells and mementos for creative experimentation. Between runs, you return to Babel to focus on the social side of things—getting to know the people around you, upgrading your unit, and preparing for your next dive. It’s a rollercoaster ride where you decide how long to stay on; the only real challenge is knowing when to call it quits. For us, walking away was the hardest part. We were like kids in a toy store, always chasing one more treasure or one more upgrade. The game taught us to become absolute masters at finding just one more excuse to stay. We hope it does the same for you too!
Well Dweller: A Matchstick and a Family
Well Dweller puts us in the role of Glimmer, a tiny bird armed with a matchstick and faced with a rather unpleasant problem. The evil queen has been hunting birds, and Glimmer’s family has been taken from him. Since staying safely at the bottom of the well is not your thing, you’ll set out to find you siblings and eventually reach the queen. This little title comes well recomended if you’re into dark fairy tales that also fill its world with strange, funny or charming characters.
In true Metroidvania fashion, we explore a large interconnected world, fight enemies, and solve puzzles. All of this is possible thanks to the constant flow of new abilities that let us reach places that were previously out of reach. We also enjoyed finding various trinkets and upgrades that can be mixed and matched in different ways. Aside from exploring and discovering all kinds of secrets, we had a blast with the bosses, which are well-designed and memorable to tackle.
As we’ve mentioned, underneath the cute characters and storybook presentation is a story about a family trying to survive in a kingdom that has been brought to ruin by its ruler. The hand-drawn characters can be cute one moment and disturbingly creepy the next, while the environments shift between forests, ruins, and darker locations. The music, composed by Kyle Thompson’s brother Eric, is just as important to the mood. If you could pick just one of these three games this weekend, make sure you pick this one!
Mad King Redemption: Back to the Arcade
In Mad King Redemption we can choose between four playable heroes, each with their own fighting style, stats and background, and then set off to deal with the mess the Mad King has created by trying to bring his dead queen back to life using forbidden magic.
As big fans of old-school beat ’em ups we feel right at home here. We moved through 2.5D environments, punched and kicked our way through groups of enemies. Once we dealt with a boss, we gladly repeated the whole process. Mad King Redemption, however, is based on a roguelite structure. Runs contain randomized elements, while the four heroes can be upgraded and customized with different skills and stats. It also supports solo play and two-player local co-op, so, bring a friend as well this weekend!
Despite the roguelite structure, the heart of the game is still the simple pleasure of walking into a room full of enemies and beating the hell out of them. If you’ve been missing the days when a game could explain itself in a few seconds and then let you get on with playing, this is one to try. Don’t let the Early Access tag put you off—there’s already plenty of fun to be had while development is ongoing.
We hope you liked our three recomendations, we intentionally picked something that’s fast to download, play for a while and decide whether they have earned a place in our rotation. Wishing you a lovely weekend!
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